She Said No
by WizardWay
Summary: Lily rejects James for the first time. Written for the A Very Potter Quote Challenge on HPFC.


"James."

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"James?"

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"James, wake up."

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"James are you daydreaming again?"

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"James, I'm worried."

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"James, you're not even blinking."

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"Are you dead?"

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"Can I sing a song at your funeral?"

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"Is Bohemian Rhapsody okay with you?"

…

"James, why are you staring at Evans?"

"What?" James was awakened from his stupor with a jolt. He turned and nearly jumped – his best friend, Sirius Black was sitting to his immediate right. When had Sirius gotten there? He wasn't there five seconds ago, he was sure.

"So you were staring at Evans?" Sirius grinned triumphantly.

"No," James said, cheeks coloring ever so slightly. "No, I wasn't."

"It's okay, James," the two boys' other friend, Remus Lupin, dropped into the chair across from them. "We know you like her."

"I don't like her!" James protested feebly.

"Yeah, you do," Sirius laughed. "Look, you're blushing!"

"You should tell Lily," Remus said, pulling out his book. "And invite her to the next Hogsmeade weekend."

"What? No way!" James protested. At fourteen, he wasn't the most competent with girls and their ways.

Sirius looked even worse off than James. "Rule number one, boys," he said in complete seriousness. "Never tell a girl you like her – it makes you look like an idiot."

"And you know this because?" Remus raised his eyebrow. "You've never liked a girl."

"Have so!" Sirius defended himself. "Remember, last year I liked that pretty Hufflepuff girl in the year above us."

"Until you decided that she wasn't worth your time when you overheard her telling her friend that jokes and pranks were childish," Remus pointed out.

"Well, I have liked a girl!" Sirius said.

"I think I will ask her out," James returned to the conversation. He'd been staring at Lily again during his friends' banter. Her long red hair was tied up in a bun and she was working on the essay assigned to them by Professor Binns that morning. She was biting her lip in concentration, flipping through the pages of the textbook.

"Don't do it, James," Sirius warned. "You'll only make a fool of yourself."

"You should," Remus smiled encouragingly. "She might like you, too."

"Yeah, okay," James lifted himself off of the couch by the fire and toward the table where Lily was working. She was brushing her pretty hair out of her luminous green eyes…don't think about that.

"Er, hi Evans – Lily," James rectified his mistake, silently cursing himself.

"Make it quick, Potter," Lily's eyes didn't leave her essay. "I need to work on this."

"I – I was wondering if you'd like to go to Hogsmeade with me in two weeks?" James asked, daring to hope she'd answer yes.

Lily looked at him now. Her eyes were wider than they'd been before. "Erm, no thanks, Potter," she said, looking down again. "I'm busy."

"What about the next Hogsmeade weekend?"

"No, I don't think so," Lily said. "I'm not one for dating."

"Just as friends, then?" James asked, slightly put out.

"Sorry," Lily said. "But I don't think it would work out."

"I really like you," James tried again.

Lily sighed. "Look, Potter, I admire you persistence," she began. "But I don't date. At all."

"Why not?"

"That," Lily slammed her book shut. "Is none of your business. I'm going to my dormitory." She stalked off.

James watched her leave, crestfallen. He had so wanted her to go out with him. She was the most beautiful girl in the year, even if no one else saw it.

"How'd it go, James?" Remus appeared at his right shoulder.

"Pretty bad, I'd say," Sirius remarked, looking at James's expression. "He looks like he's a lost puppy with nowhere to go. "

Remus glared at him. "Don't be rude," he reprimanded. "What did she say?"

"She said no," James said hollowly. "Multiple times."

Sirius winced. "Tough luck, mate. But there's other fish in the see, right?"

"Right," James said automatically.

"So what are you going to do now?" Sirius grinned. "Find another girl to ask out? Play a prank with us? Get revenge on Evans?"

"Lily said no," James repeated. "So I'm just going to curl up in my sock drawer and sleep for days."

With those parting words, he left the Common Room for the Boys' Dormitories to see if he could fit in his sock drawer.

**Underlined are the quotes from A Very Potter Musical/Sequel. Hope you enjoyed!**


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